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Stolen: Five Free Boys Kidnapped into Slavery and Their Astonishing Odyssey Home by Richard Bell
bookswithmeg_'s review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
amanda_the_book_wyrm's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
2.75
I might bump this review up, I need to think on it. I liked the mix of narrative and information. It covers an important period of time, and highlights a lot of the horrors people who were enslaved experienced, as well as a foundation of systemic racism we see today. One of the reasons I rated it lower, is that some of the language used by the author caused me pause. Maybe it’s me not being as educated on the matter, but some of the language seemed to not be through an anti racism lens.
jillianfontaine's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
spb3's review against another edition
5.0
Stolen is a compelling history that is well-written, accessible, and will capture the attention of undergraduates, high-level high school students, and anyone interested in a story that details the brutal 19th-century United States Slave Economy.
Bell's book is a microhistory of five different free black boys, from different backgrounds and different ages, who are kidnapped, coffled (caravan) across the US to the deep south, and eventually attempt to escape back to their homes. For historians of the United States, there isn't a whole lot that is new here theoretically, but Bell does bring the Reverse Underground Railroad into painful visibility.
At the heart of this story, is the separation of families and the ability of individuals to make a difference. This will resonate with anyone struggling with the current political situation in border areas around the world. It will also be moving for parents of all backgrounds to read. Shining brightly in an otherwise dim story are the people who help out along the way. Abolitionists and people who fought injustice rather than participating in the illegal and legal slave trade illustrate clearly the importance of action in times of injustice.
Rick Bell's "Stolen: Five Free Boys Kidnapped into Slavery and Their Astonishing Odyssey Home" is a skillfully written book that will appeal to wide audiences and hopefully be read by many.
You can hear my interview of Bell at www.hourofhistory.com
Bell's book is a microhistory of five different free black boys, from different backgrounds and different ages, who are kidnapped, coffled (caravan) across the US to the deep south, and eventually attempt to escape back to their homes. For historians of the United States, there isn't a whole lot that is new here theoretically, but Bell does bring the Reverse Underground Railroad into painful visibility.
At the heart of this story, is the separation of families and the ability of individuals to make a difference. This will resonate with anyone struggling with the current political situation in border areas around the world. It will also be moving for parents of all backgrounds to read. Shining brightly in an otherwise dim story are the people who help out along the way. Abolitionists and people who fought injustice rather than participating in the illegal and legal slave trade illustrate clearly the importance of action in times of injustice.
Rick Bell's "Stolen: Five Free Boys Kidnapped into Slavery and Their Astonishing Odyssey Home" is a skillfully written book that will appeal to wide audiences and hopefully be read by many.
You can hear my interview of Bell at www.hourofhistory.com
jmcard's review against another edition
5.0
Unbelievable story about the Reverse Underground Railroad. I heard about the Reverse Underground Railroad many years ago - history always goes into the Underground Railroad- but I believe the Reverse Underground Railroad needs to be taught in school just as much as the Underground Railroad.
This read like a novel-absolutely flying through the pages-many parts horrific, some liberating, and some hope; hope for humanity, just a drip of hope, that is.
Free men and women abducted from the north and shipped south all for free labor so the fat slave owners could expand profits. On land that was stolen from the American Natives, mind you. Just another history lesson on how white men and their greed will do anything to line their pockets.
This read like a novel-absolutely flying through the pages-many parts horrific, some liberating, and some hope; hope for humanity, just a drip of hope, that is.
Free men and women abducted from the north and shipped south all for free labor so the fat slave owners could expand profits. On land that was stolen from the American Natives, mind you. Just another history lesson on how white men and their greed will do anything to line their pockets.